Govind Tekale
Multiple earthquakes hit Guatemala on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, killing two people and damaging buildings across the region. Early the next morning, earthquakes also struck Indonesia’s Sunda Strait and several neighboring countries.
The strongest quake in Guatemala measured 5.7 magnitude and hit at 3:41 PM local time, about 27 kilometers southwest of Guatemala City. Several aftershocks followed, with some reaching 5.6 magnitude. These quakes centered near the towns of Amatitlán and Alotenango in the country’s volcanic highlands.
Two people died when a landslide buried their vehicle on a highway near Antigua Guatemala. President Bernardo Arevalo reported that rescue teams saved a family of five trapped under debris, while two injured people received medical treatment.
“Buildings in Guatemala City shook strongly, forcing people to rush outside,” said one resident. Emergency alarms sounded throughout the capital as authorities urged everyone to evacuate buildings as a safety measure.
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The earthquakes damaged many structures, leaving cracked walls and broken windows. Some buildings collapsed completely. Power went out in several areas, and fallen debris blocked numerous roads.
Neighboring El Salvador felt the tremors but reported no major damage or injuries.
On July 9 at 6:50 AM, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, reaching 79 kilometers deep. This came after a 4.7 magnitude quake near Indonesia’s Pulau Sumbawa island on July 7.
That same morning, Myanmar experienced three earthquakes. Two smaller ones (2.1 and 1.9 magnitude) occurred at 3:31 AM and 3:52 AM near Thailand’s border. A third 3.4 magnitude quake hit at 9:29 AM, about 308 kilometers from Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province. Vietnam also had a 3.4 magnitude quake at 4:14 AM.
Guatemala faces high earthquake risk because it sits where the Caribbean and Cocos tectonic plates meet. The country’s worst recent earthquake happened in 1976 when a 7.5 magnitude quake killed over 23,000 people.
Indonesia, part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences about 9,300 earthquakes yearly, with around 270 reaching magnitude 5 or higher.
Officials in both countries continue monitoring for aftershocks and have advised residents to stay alert and follow safety guidelines.
